15102025-ATR-01.qxd 10/15/2025 12:02 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY DGP CALLS FOR STRICT VIGIL AHEAD OF DIWALI KHALSA COLLEGE LIFTS ZONAL YOUTH FEST TROPHY MEET STARS WHO MADE IT FROM MOVIE SETS TO MUSIC CHARTS DGP Gaurav Yadav directed district police chiefs to ensure alertness of the force ahead of Diwali. P2 Amritsar’s Khalsa College of Education lifted the championship trophy at the Youth Festival of Education Colleges. P2 These Bollywood stars are striking the right chords, proving that true talent knows no bounds P4 » » » MAX 30°C | MIN 20°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 19°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.58 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.34 AM WEDNESDAY | 15 OCTOBER 2025 | AMRITSAR Property of notorious smuggler demolished in Mohkampura Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 14 In continued crackdown on drug traffickers, the district administration demolished an illegally acquired property of a notorious drug smuggler in the Mohkampura area here on Tuesday. The action was carried out under the supervision of senior officials of the administration and the Commissionerate Police. The property, located at House No 328, Pyara Singh di Haveli, Mohkampura, was identified as illegally constructed and belonging to Rohit Singh, alias Kalu, son of Jaspal Singh, a resident of Pyara Singh Sarpanch Chowk, Mohkampura. Rohit Singh, a repeat offender, has been actively involved in drug trafficking and is facing multiple cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The demolition was carried out by the municipal corporation as part of the state’s ongoing campaign to target the financial backbone of drug traffickers by seizing and razing properties acquired Roadways, PRTC contractual staff on strike, people suffer Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service The house of a drug smuggler being demolished in the Mohkampura area of Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR through illicit means. A police spokesperson said that the police remain committed to eradicating the drug menace from society. “Such actions send a strong message that no one involved in the illegal drug trade will be spared,” the spokesperson added. So far this year, the Commis- sionerate Police have registered 1,138 cases under the NDPS Act and arrested 2,133 persons. The recoveries include 250.521 kg heroin, 29.652 kg opium, 325.577 kg narcotic powder, and other drugs, along with Rs 2.88 crore in drug money and 96 vehicles used for smuggling. Amritsar, October 14 Passengers had harrowing experience as contractual employees of the state-run Punjab Roadways and PRTC went on two-hour strike here on Tuesday. They staged a sitin against the government, demanding the rollback of the per kilometre scheme. Starting at 12 pm, the sit-in lasted till 2 pm. As a result, passengers had to suffer a lot. Gurdev Singh, a passenger, carrying a sackful of essential domestic items looked for a bus to his village at the InterState Bus Terminal (ISBT) said it was a rude jolt to him as buses were off roads. While government buses were off roads, private transporters made most of the opportunity by plying buses from out of the ISBT as members of the state-run passenger transport utilities staged a sit-in at the entrance of the Harried passengers exit the ISBT in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR ISBT on Tuesday. Most of the passengers were seen moving out of the ISBT after they learnt Despite ban, sale of crackers goes unchecked in markets Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 14 Even though a complete ban has been imposed on the sale and use of firecrackers to curb air and noise pollution, the sale of crackers continues unchecked in several parts of the city. With Diwali just a few days away, residents have raised concern over the open violation of the ban and urged the district administration to ensure strict enforcement. The Punjab Government, following the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), has prohibited the manufacture, sale, and bursting of all kinds of firecrackers across the state till January 31, 2026. The ban order aims to control the deteriorating air quality during the festive and winter season. Only green crackers with the prior approval from the Punjab People purchase crackers ahead of Diwali in Amritsar. FILE PHOTO Pollution Control Board (PPCB) are allowed under limited conditions and time slots from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali. However, despite the order, several local markets in the city have been witnessing the illegal sale of crackers. Crack- ers are reportedly being sold discreetly in gift shops and toy stores. Some vendors have even shifted to online messaging platforms to attract buyers. Residents complained that the lack of enforcement by authorities is encouraging defaulters. “Every year, we hear about the ban, but shops still sell crackers. Pollution levels rise and children suffer from breathing problems,” said city resident Sandeep Singh. Another resident, Gurmeet Kaur, added, “The administration should take action before Diwali, not after the damage is done.” She said the district administration should constitute surveillance teams to monitor and act against violators. As the festival of lights is drawing near, environmental activists have also appealed to citizens to celebrate Diwali in an eco-friendly manner and avoid using firecrackers to keep the air clean and safe for all. that buses are not being plied on account of the strike. A majority of the passengers were women. In afternoon, the ISBT wore a deserted look. Harjinder Kaur, a passenger, said, “After paying for the TRAMADOL TABLETS SEIZURE CASE NCB freezes ~25.5 cr assets bought with illicit drug money Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 14 In a major step towards dismantling the financial networks sustaining the drug trade, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has confirmed the freezing of assets worth over Rs 25.5 crore under Section 68F(2) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The confirmation order, issued earlier, followed a detailed financial probe by the NCB’s Amritsar Zonal Unit into a case arising from the seizure of 34,372 tramadol tablets from a local pharmaceutical network earlier this year. The frozen assets include two immovable properties — one worth Rs 10.5 crore in Amritsar and another valued at Rs 15 crore in Tarn Taran — allegedly owned by Dr Jatinder Malhotra and Dr Arti Malhotra. The two are accused of acquiring the assets using proceeds from the illegal trade in psychotropic substances. According to the NCB, profits from drug trafficking were channelled into real estate and other ventures to disguise their illicit origins. After reviewing financial records and hearing the parties concerned, the Competent Authority determined that the assets were liable for freezing. An NCB spokesperson said the move reflected the agency’s renewed focus on financial investigations as a core part of its enforcement strategy. “While earlier operations Exam fee exemption sought for students of flood-hit areas Neha Saini Tribune News Service The seized arms and ammunition in Amritsar on Tuesday. 1 held with six pistols, over 100 cartridges Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 14 The Amritsar Rural Police arrested a man with six pistols and over 100 cartridges here on Tuesday. Giving details, Maninder Singh, SSP Amritsar Rural, , stated that investigation into the case, registered on October 8 at the Gharinda police station, led to the arrest of Amarbir Singh, a resident of Darywal, which falls under the Tarsikka police station. The police team found six pistols (.30 bore), 91 live cartridges of .30 bore, 20 live cartridges of 9MM and 11 magazines. Amritsar, October 14 The Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), led by its state president Vikram Dev Singh, held a meeting with Punjab School Education Board Chairman Dr Amarpal Singh demanding exemption for students of Class X and XII from floodaffected areas from examination fees registration. The DTF has also sought compensation for damage to books and cancellation of certificate fees for Classes V to XII. The meeting was attended by other secretaries of the Punjab School Education Board, Gurinder Singh Sodhi. The Chairman assured that he would send a proposal for the same to the high-level committee of the Punjab Government regarding the floods and provide necessary relief to students. The last date for board examination registration is The walls of the classroom bear signs of damage caused by the recent floods at a government school in Gaggomahal. October 24 and deadline with late fee is November 4. Each child will have to pay Rs 1,000 as late fee is the decision is not made till November 4. The fee for Class X is Rs 1,720, for Class XII is Rs 2,170, with additional certificate fee of Rs c m y b 250. For Class VIII, in government schools there is no fee. “The state government should take responsibility for easing the financial burden on students as they and their families face displacement and economic losses. We had charges on transportation she reached all the way from Verka area to the ISBT to board a bus to Khilchian. Punjab Roadways Employees’ Union general secretary Jugraj Singh said they have gone on strike against the government’s “per kilometer scheme” as it will lead to privatisation of the transport sector and the government will not add new buses. On behalf of the Punjab Roadways and the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), the private sector will operate buses for the public transport corporations, he added. He said private transporters will run new buses, bearing the cost of maintenance, fuel and drivers. Elaborating on the scheme, he said the Punjab Government will provide a conductor and pay the private owner a predetermined rate based on the kilometres covered. raised this issue ever since schools reopened after floods. The PSEB Chairman assured us that if the state government reimburses the amount for the exam registration fee, they will announce exemption. But this cannot happen without the state government’s intervention,” said Vikramdev Singh. The DTF had, through several district units, raised funds to be given to needy students for fee and buying learning material. State finance secretary of the Democratic Teachers Front, Punjab, and Amritsar unit head Ashwini Awasthi said a large part of Punjab has been hit by the floods between August and September 2025. “There are approximately around one lakh students, who have been displaced or economically affected by floods, especially in the border districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Fazilka and Ferozepur. Owing to the huge economic loss of people in the flood-affected areas, students here are facing serious problems in paying examination fees and the educational future of the students has also been called into question. Along with this, books of a large number of schools and students living in flood-affected areas have also been damaged due to prolonged flooding.” The DTF while submitting , a memorandum, demanded from the Punjab School Education Board that the examination fee of all the students of Class X and XII March2026 (Regular) from the flood-affected areas of Punjab be waived. An assessment report should be collected on the availability of books for all the students belonging to the flood-affected areas and necessary books should be provided to the students immediately after assessing the damage. primarily targeted drug seizures and arrests, the Bureau is now equally focused on tracing, freezing and forfeiting drug money to cripple the economic base of narcotics traffickers,” he said. The Narcotics Control Bureau headquarters has directed all zonal units to launch parallel financial probes in major Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances cases, identify ‘benami’ properties and holdings in the names of associates or relatives and submit proposals for freezing. Officials added that properties acquired through drug money can be frozen even during investigation, pending adjudication and later forfeited to the Central Government. Army man booked for ‘sexual abuse’ Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, October 14 The Chohla Sahib police have booked an Army personnel on charges of sexually exploiting a woman for years by falsely promising to marry her. The victim recently lodged a complaint with the Chohla Sahib police, stating that the accused, Kanwaljit Singh, alias Kanwaljit, a resident of Chamba Kalan village, had been exploiting her. She alleged that he not only promised to marry her but also gave her medication to terminate her pregnancy. Based on the complaint, a case has been registered under Section 69 of the BNS. ASI Bhagwant Singh of the Chohla Sahib police confirmed that the victim’s statement has been recorded and legal proceedings have begun.